Mines and Quarries Act, 1965

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR No. 7/1965

Number 7 of 1965.

MINES AND QUARRIES ACT, 1965

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Part I

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL

Section 1. Short title. 2. Commencement. 3. Meaning of “mine” and “quarry”. 4. Meaning of “owner”. 5. Interpretation generally. 6. Application to State. 7. Expenses. 8. Laying of regulations before Houses of Oireachtas. 9. Consultation with Minister for Health as to health regulations. 10. Repeals. 11. Continuance of instruments, office-holders and registers.

Part II

MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF MINES AND QUARRIES

12. General duties of mine and quarry owners. 13. Appointment, and general duties and powers, of mine managers. 14. Rights of mine manager with respect to instructions given by or on behalf of owner. 15. Qualifications of mine manager. 16. Daily supervision by mine managers. 17. Deputies. 18. Other officials, engineers, technicians, etc. 19. Duty of mine manager to ensure that persons appointed by him understand their duties. 20. Disqualification of contractors and their employees for appointment as managers or deputies of mines. 21. Plans. 22. Faulty plans. 23. Appointment of quarry managers. 24. General powers and duties of quarry managers. 25. Power of quarry owner to exclude matters from manager's control. 26. Rights of quarry manager with respect to instructions given by or on behalf of owner. 27. Supervision by quarry manager. 28. Power to require qualified manager where certain quarrying operations are carried on. 29. Officials, etc. 30. Temporary appointments during vacancy in office of mine or quarry manager. 31. Notification to inspector appointments by mine or quarry owners.

Part III

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE (MINES)

32. Requirements as to shafts and outlets: mines of coal and other stratified minerals. 33. Provisions of winding and haulage apparatus. 34. Securing of shafts and staple-pits. 35. Safety precautions with respect to entrances to shafts, staple-pits and outlets. 36. General provisions with respect to construction and maintenance of roads. 37. Height and width of travelling roads. 38. Prohibition of use of vehicles and conveyors in roads not affording free movement. 39. Transport rules and regulations. 40. Provisions for securing safety of foot-passengers in transport roads. 41. Provisions of refuge holes. 42. Safety measures relating to use of vehicles. 43. Charge of winding and roe haulage apparatus when persons are carried. 44. Charge of winding rope haulage apparatus when persons are not carried. 45. Charges of conveyors at working faces. 46. Signalling shafts and outlets. 47. Signalling in roads. 48. Power to exclude or modify five preceding sections in case of remotely controlled or automatic apparatus. 49. Duty to secure safety of roads and working places. 50. Systematic support in mines of coal and other stratified minerals. 51. Power to require systematic support in other mines. 52. Supply of materials for support. 53. Withdrawal of support. 54. Duties of deputies in relation to support. 55. Provisions as to support rules. 56. Duty to provide adequate ventilation. 57. Avoidance of danger from gas in waste. 58. Power of inspector to require improvement of ventilation. 59. Provisions as to means of ventilation. 60. Prevention of leakage of air between airways. 61. Provision of barometers and other measuring instruments. 62. Lighting. 63. Permitted lights. 64. Lighting and contraband regulations. 65. Electricity and electrical apparatus. 66. Blasting materials and devices. 67. Use of brattice sheeting and conveyor belting. 68. Fire-fighting and rescue operations. 69. Means of escape from rooms in which there is special risk of fire or gas. 70. Dust precautions. 71. Duty of mine owners and managers to seek evidence of proximity of disused workings, water-bearing strata, etc. 72. Duty of mine owners and managers to ascertain thickness of strata between workings and surface water. 73. General duty to take precautions against inrushes of gas, water, etc. 74. Powers of inspectors with respect to danger from inrushes of gas, water, etc. 75. Withdrawal of workmen in case of danger. 76. Construction, maintenance, etc of machinery and apparatus. 77. Fencing of exposed parts of machinery. 78. Engines below ground. 79. Air, gas and steam containers. 80. Loading of cranes, etc. 81. Storage bins and hoppers. 82. Buildings and structures to be kept safe. 83. Safe means of access and safe means of employment. 84. Restriction on doing of work by unskilled persons. 85. First Aid. 86. Lifting excessive weights. 87. Sanitary conveniences. 88. Measures against vermin and insects. 89. Drinking water. 90. Welfare regulations.

Part IV

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE (QUARRIES)

91. Provisions for securing safe methods of working. 92. Safe means of access to working places. 93. Safety measures relating to vehicles running on rails. 94. Lighting. 95. Dust precautions. 96. Miscellaneous provisions for securing safety of persons employed. 97. Application to quarries of certain sections of Part III.

Part V

NOTIFICATION AND INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES

98. Notification of certain accidents. 99. Power to extend to other dangerous occurrences provisions as to notification of accidents. 100. Power to apply to diseases provisions as to notification of accidents. 101. Inquest in case of death by accident or other occurrence or disease. 102. Site of accident or other dangerous occurrence to be left undisturbed. 103. Power of Minister to require special report on accident or other dangerous occurrence. 104. Power to direct formal investigation of accidents, occurences and cases of disease.

Part VI

WORKMEN'S INSPECTIONS

105. Periodical inspection on behalf of workmen.

Part VII

FENCING OF ABANDONED AND DISUSED MINES

106. Fencing of abandoned and disused mines.

Part VIII

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

107. Prohibition of employment below ground in certain cases. 108. Prohibition of employment of children. 109. Proof of age. 110. Restrictions on employment of women and young persons. 111. Register of women and young persons employed. 112. Medical examination. 113. Limit of hours of work below ground in mines. 114. Register of times of descent and ascent. 115. Power to extend hours of work on a limited number of days in a year. 116. Application to mines not entered by a shaft, etc. 117. Provisions for securing compliance with this Part. 118. Workman below ground longer than fixed period. 119. Special exceptions for emergencies. 120. Consultation with owner and persons employed. 121. Supplemental.

Part IX

RECORDS, RETURNS AND INFORMATION

122. Form of official books and preservation and inspection of entries therein. 123. Posting of notices. 124. Periodical returns of owners. 125. Notification of beginning and ending of certain mining and quarrying operations. 126. Notification of change of ownership or name of mine quarry.

Part X

REGULATIONS

127. Regulations.

Part XI

CHECKWEIGHING AT COAL MINES

128. Checkweighing of coal. 129. Construction of Checkweighing in Various Industries Act, 1919.

Part XII

INSPECTORS

130. Inspectors. 131. General powers of inspectors. 132. Power of inspector to require remedy for immediate or apprehended danger.

Part XIII

OFFENCES, PENALTIES AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

133. Offences. 134. Supplementary provisions as to offences. 135. Penalty for offences for which no express penalty is provided. 136. Defence available to person charged with offence not committed personally. 137. Persons not to be under liability for contraventions which it was impracticable to avoid or prevent. 138. Liability of owners for breaches of statutory duty by their servants. 139. Liability of parents for unlawful employment of children and young persons. 140. Forgery of certificates, false statements, etc. 141. Obligations of persons employed as to health, safety and welfare. 142. Removal or defacement of notices, etc. 143. Prosecution of offences. 144. Restriction on institution of certain proceeding. 145. Duty to report results of proceedings against persons employed at mines or quarries.

Part XIV

MISCELLANEOUS

146. Provisions as to references upon notices served by inspectors. 147. Power of Minister to grant exemptions for limited period. 148. Revocation and variation of orders. 149. Mode of service of notices. 150. Certificates of birth. 151. Advisory Council.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Enactments Repealed

SECOND SCHEDULE

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